Cast iron powerglide ('54), stock u-joint, enclosed drive shaft and the rear axle.. How much can it take, considering daily driving, some intersection launches, narrow bias plys?
What’s a stock 235 have ? the ...... well everything behind the engine would be the weak link if your going to beat on it, the powerglides where not known for strength and the torque tubes and diffs are not very robust. but a 235 with duel carbs and split exhaust and a cam it might live for a long time if you don’t beat on it like a government mule.
What motor? If it’s the original 6 cyl you should be fairl good for just about anything. WITHIN REASON. But if it’s got a smallblock or such I woul be more careful. And especially that parts ain’t easy to find for that driveline Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I've run several hard with stock driveline. Clutch was weak link. 235 is a fun motor but not much on power. Top speed is 92 mph. 95 if tall radials on back. Have fun with it. It will keep up on the interstate.
Hi. My avatar photo here is of the 235 I have in my 46 Chevy coupe. It has dual 2 bbl Weber carbs, hot cam, bored 0.060 with original style pistons, headers & dual stock mufflers(so I can hear the radio), HEI & 12 volt system. Ring & pinion in original torque tube rear end is a 355. After several years the original 3 on tree tranny just wore out (not busted or blown) & I got talked into a T350 tranny and a 57 truck rear end with open drive shaft. Worst decision I ever made on that change. Some time later I got rear ended and car is not running right now but when I rebuild that dang T350 is coming out and going back to manual tranny. Jimmie
Thanks for comments! The car has a stovebolt six now, but I've been pondering the idea about mating an SBC to the stock drivetrain with front parts from a V8 CI PG. I like the car as it is, but want more power. But if I'll have to constantly fear about breaking something, changing everything would be a better idea...
Ive been playing with old cars 50 years,and have never seen a V8 adapted to a 49-54 drive line.The general feeling is the drive line wont take it if you get rough with it.In America the 55-57 rear end is a near bolt in so thats what guys did.All that rear needs is a new hole drilled for the spring center bolt.
I bolted a 300 hp. engine & powerglide to my 50 merc rear end about 40 year's ago still going with no Problem's you can change the rear end ratio with biger tires. Just my 3.5 cents Live Learn & Die a Fool
It's a lot of trouble to do but using a pickup transmisson you can mate the V8 to the closed driveline. I don't think it's worth the trouble because the rear is gonna break if you dog the car much. Was a common thing back in the 60's to mate a six to the pickup trans and use the closed drive line. Local mechanic had done that.m
I remember reading an article in an OLD car magazine, but I don't remember which one. A shop had done a V-8 swap for a woman and her 53 Chevrolet. They made a lengthened/long slip yoke for the enclosed drive-line by cutting and welding two together. Don't know why they had to do that. Don't remember if it was a 265 or 283 engine either. I did give a HAMBER the article several years back, along with some copies of a V-8 and rear end swap for another 53 Chevrolet in Hot Rod Magazine. Offenhauser and Speed Gems both made an adapter to do the swap using a cast iron, Powerglide, starter motor adapter ring, but using a truck 3 speed would be easier. There's a guy over on ChevyTalk.Org, kin the 49-54 forum, who has a 50 he's dropped a 350 in, and kept the stock 3 speed/torque-tube drive-line/rear end; he goes by Dean50. His car also has Tri-Power!!! There's also another member there, agleason, who has his Father's 49-50 Coupe, with a 283 and the stock 3 speed/torque-tube/rear-end. That car was BUILT by his dad, including motor mounts, exhaust, etc, all done by himself. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
It appears several posters are conflating the stick shift swap with the automatic the OP is asking about. Common problem here on the HAMB it seems.....reading is fundamental The installation of a Chevy V8 in a vehicle equipped with a six and iron PG should be fairly easy to do with iron PG/ SBC V8 parts (‘55 thru ‘62) and DOES NOT require any pickup transmission parts. The pickup parts would only apply to manual trans to V8 adaption. As for durability of the stock 235 /iron PG......I had that combo in 1961 and was sorta trying to ruin the PG so I could justify swapping to a manual trans setup. Ended up trashing the 235 .....NOT the iron PG. That said, iron PG’s are really not that great given the readily available and superior later GM automatics and the ease of replacing the (relatively weak) torque tube rear end. Ray
A V8 will not match up to your transmission, for a start. It is possible to mate a Chevy V8 to the manual transmission if you have the right trans case. The only difference is the location of the bolt holes to attach the bellhousing. 1942 is when they made the change. Some have one kind, some the other but they seem most common in half ton pickup trucks. All other parts interchange. You already have the good motor with insert bearings and full pressure lubrication. Best to keep it. Have you checked compression and oil pressure? The engine may just be worn. It is never going to be a race car especially with the Powerglide transmission. But if the engine were rebuilt, with a cam, dual carburetors, and dual exhaust you would have a useful increase in performance. It may also be possible to modify the transmission or change the torque converter for better performance. There is a bigger more powerful six cylinder that will bolt straight into your car with no modifications. A 261 cu in 135HP six based on the same engine you have. It was used in Chevrolet trucks, 2 ton and larger, 1954 - 62 and also Canadian Pontiacs from 1955 - 62. As you live in Finland I doubt you could find one. On the whole, the best and cheapest solution would be a mild hop up and rebuild of the original engine. Check your compression and oil pressure to assess the condition of the engine, and see if it is due for a rebuild. If it is in good shape a tuneup may help. An engine swap would turn into a major project requiring a different transmission, driveshaft, rear axle, and other changes. I think for you, at that point, it would be better and easier to sell the car and buy one a little newer that came with a V8.
To put it in in a nut shell, If your goal is to have a cool car that can keep up with normal traffic and cruise on the hiway at 100Km hr then the stock engine and trans are fine, and will respond to a mild hop up (cam, carburetors, dual exhaust). If you want to beat the Mercedes and BMWs and go drag racing, you need a better car. If you want a V8 in your car it can be done but you have to replace the whole drive line and other modifications as well. It is easier and cheaper to trade up to a newer car with a V8.
Just a thought.... The Original Chevy torque tube drive line can’t be that much weaker than the ‘39 Ford toploader 3 speed, torque tube and banjo. The Ford combo is commonly run behind .... just about anything including Cadillacs and Hemis.
I think maybe some of us are just pushing the manual trans idea, and how much easier that would be, especially over an iron Glide automatic. I'm not even certain you can "combine" a 55-62, V-8, iron Glide trans, and/or it's parts, with those of a torque-tube drive-line transmission. The torque-tube extension housing and output shaft/planetary assembly would have to be combined with the front and mid portions of a V-8 cast iron 55-62 Glide. I know some of the parts are different, such as the direct clutch and drum assemblies. But, I also know that there were some "upgrades" made with later parts as the iron Glide evolved. From a shifter standpoint, at least using the stock column shifter, the V-8 trans would have to be a 55-57, as in 58, the detents changed from P-N-D-L-R to P-N-R-D-L. Then again, hot rodders can overcome just about anything. Could the iron Glide parts be "combined? "Probably". Would the rear-end hold up? "Probably". Would anyone want to tackle it? "Doubtful". I think it would be better to combine a torque-tube style Hydra-Matic with an open drive-line Hydra-Matic, and get two extra, forward gears. If Ford's torque-tube rears could hold up to a V-8, why not Chevrolet's version with 3.55 and 4.11 ratio gear sets? OK, who's going to be the first to try it? NOT ME!!! I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Don't forget, the OP is in Finland, where American car parts must be in short supply or impossible to get. In other words, he is not going to find a later Chev in a junkyard that can supply an engine, transmission, driveshaft, rear axle and other parts cheap.
A second generation Camaro would have the engine/trans/rear he would need for a real easy swap. I bet easier to find that then the assorted parts to do the swap he’s thinking about
The Jalopy Journal
